Bad start for CSK & RR

MI & RCB performed like real champions to beat CSK and RR respectively. Sachin leading from the front for MI and Dravid & Kumble performing for RCB to start IPL-2 on a winning note.

I am not going to write on what happened in the match for CSK but on what went wrong for CSK and the mistakes that cost the match for CSK.

1.Hayden dropping a sitter from sachin early on the game.
2.When CSK had restricted MI well Flintoff gifting 25 runs in the 18th over.
3.Flintoff & Hayden throwing their wickets after showing signs of recovery.
4.Playing 11 and batting order.

I feel dropping catches,gifting runs and throwing wickets are normal and sometimes depends on many factors like weather,first game,batsmen just hitting out and taking all the risks etc but what baffles me is the team selection and the order in which the batsmen were sent in for the chase.

CSK were playing with 10 players and the 11th man was playing as a fielder, no bowling and no batting, how can you play Ashwin and not give him even a single over it is ridiculous to play him at the first place when you are playing 3 specialist bowlers and 2 bowling all rounders and having picked him in the team not trying him even for a single over shows how confident the captain is on Ashwin.

I don't understand how you can not pick A.morkel, what ever the reason be (kits not arrived on time !!) it is very silly to think that he can not play with the available kit from the other players in the team. How on earth you can pick Joginder ahead of balaji (even though joginder did well) i doubt if Dhoni has any confidence in the chennai players. It is really hurting when you see only 2 players picked from chennai for the CSK team and 1 of them did not bowl or bat and the other specialist batsmen walking in at the end overs when the asking rate has gone up to 11 a over.Its a shame for TNCA and Chennai players that they are treated so badly in spite of owning the team. All the other teams (except RR) play minimum of 3-4 players from the state and they are key performers also.Some how i get a feeling that dhoni is not confident about players from TN.

How is that all the big hitting batsmen were sent in one after the other early in the innings and send the inexperienced players in the end overs and expect them to perform. May be he is experimenting in the initial phase of the tournament but it is always good to start winning so that the team's morale and confidence gets momentum going forward. I am not blaming Dhoni alone here its a total failure of the team management which includes Fleming. I strongly feel that its time that dhoni starts to keep wickets and create an option to include one more batsmen/bowler in the team. I would want to see Flintoff at number 6 and Morkel at 7 and may earlier depending on the match scenario and not at no 4 / 5 pre-planned.

I am sure the team management on cricketing affairs get together and plan for the next game and come out with the best possible lineup which should include Hayden,Morkel,Flintoff and Murali and make sure they start winning.

BCCI under IncomeTax Net :-( :-(

The Indian Finance Ministry has brought about a rude shock to the BCCI by bringing all commercial dealing by the BCCI under the tax net for the assessment year 2008-2009. As the per the initial understanding, the IT dept is not liable to send any notice to BCCI to comply to the rules as the definition for Trust registered as charity have been made clear in the 2008 budget. BCCI so for was enjoying tax holiday as promoting cricket is a public utility and service. The IPL,matches conducted by the BCCI,TV rights etc will be under the tax net and will be on the high end of 33+ bracket and the IT dept expects the board to comply and pay advance tax.

I am sure the board will fight hard to stop this from getting implemented in all possible way. For once BCCI is fortunate to have a political person as the president in Sharad Pawar, he will go all out to see that BCCI does not pay / pays less on tax. Overall its not a good news for the cricketing community and if this is implemented the funds spent on domestic cricket and infrastructure will be the first casualty and who knows this move may also slow down the development of cricket in India.


No result in Lords Yet Again

Since 2005 Lords has not produced any result in the Test Matches whether its 5 days of cricket or hampered by rain. SA finally drew the 1st test in Lords with yet another fine hundred by Amla the third in the same innings after Smith and McKenzie. England bowlers never looked to finish the SA lineup in the 2nd innings after the good start and blame it on the pitch which did absolutely nothing to help the bowlers and the very slow turn meant that the spinners in Panesar and Pieterson was not effective. Hope we have some sporting and true wicket for the 2nd Test.

IPL draws flak from WADA

The WADA has criticized the IPL management for letting out the name of the player before the B sample verification. The WADA has also mentioned it is a violation of the regulation. As expected it was the Pakistani fast bowler Asif to have tested positive and the future looks very bleak for him. Even the PCB is learned to be very upset with the findings as Asif has been warned earlier for similar issue. IPL by letting out the name of the player has in a way indirectly helped Asif to fight the case with the WADA unhappy with the IPL management. Asif has also denied the reports stating that he has been very careful in taking drugs during the IPL and pleads innocence.